Free State hosts MSME indaba in Bloemfontein on 22 September

The Free State Department of Economic Development and Tourism will host a Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development, Innovation and Investment Indaba on Tuesday, 22 September 2026 at Mangaung City Hall in Bloemfontein.

The event is scheduled to start at 09h00. The department is hosting it together with SMME finance and the Mangaung Metro.

According to the government notice announcing the indaba, the gathering is part of a three-year effort to build what it describes as a more coordinated, inclusive and growth-oriented MSME ecosystem, connecting enterprises to compliance, capability, finance, access to markets, innovation and investment.

Those invited to attend include municipalities, developmental institutions, corporates, industry bodies, technology providers and the MSMEs themselves. The stated purpose is to address the structural barriers that constrain enterprise participation, competitiveness and growth.

The department says the indaba forms part of a broader three-year Free State MSME Development Programme, which it describes as an attempt to move beyond fragmented enterprise support interventions towards a coordinated provincial MSME ecosystem focused on compliance and enterprise development.

Media have been invited to cover the event. The department’s spokesperson, Mojalefa Mphapang, is listed as the contact for enquiries on 072 274 1734.

The notice does not set out a detailed programme for the day, the number of enterprises expected to attend, or any specific commitments to be announced. This report is based on the government’s own announcement of the event, which is a summary rather than a record of the proceedings.

Source: South African Government (www.gov.za), Free State Economic Development and Tourism hosts Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises and Investment Indaba, 22 Sept, https://www.gov.za/news/media-statements/free-state-economic-development-and-tourism-hosts-micro-small-and-medium